Archive July 2023

Get your copy now for $65 or FREE if you're a Screen Industry Guild member! The Blue Book contains the standard conditions for the engagement of screen production crew in New Zealand and is developed and published by The Screen Industry Guild with cooperation from…

We're pleased to see that Sky has appointed a Head of Originals. WIFT NZ member Thomas Robins will be the new head of Sky Originals, taking over from Annie Murray. Prior to starting at Sky in the Originals team two years ago, Robins spent 20…

Congratulations to our members whose work will be showcased to audiences, some for the first time in world premieres! Nine films will have their world premieres at the festival this year – one of the largest collections of world premieres NZIFF has seen in many…

Want to get cracking with your first feature length script? Come along and hear how these three writers did it! The Write Room is returning in 2024, and to launch the 2024 residency, the organisers are holding a panel discussion with previous residents.

Join 2023…

You'll be glad to hear that this virtual event is at a very civilised hour for Kiwis, and, thanks to our partnership with NYWIFT, WIFT NZ members get a discount.

Join Film Fatales for a discussion about Breaking Into Television Writing with Jessica Sharzer (Nine…

Congratulations to producer Desray Armstrong who has been invited to join the The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. We were happy to see Desray's name among the 398 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to motion pictures. 

And high…

The fabulous NZIFF programme is out, so now it's time for the agony and the ecstasy of choosing which ones you want/are able to see!

Click here for the Auckland programme.

Click for the Wellington programme.

Special guest!
Labelled by some as 'The Best of 2023' Celine…

Exciting news for director Mary-Lyn Chambers and producer Emma Mortimer, whose film Karanga will screen at the Wyoming International Film Festival this month. Starring Miriama Mcdowell, Karanga is a dance and spoken word film exploring the intersectionality of descendants of both Māori and Pākehā (European),…

Congratulations to NZ On Air for administering this venture over the last three years, it allowed for more news coverage from the regions than we have had in decades! The PIJF wasn't without its critics, but it provided a range of enjoyable and enlightening news…

Producer Alexandra Porter.

Bill Former lawyer turned farmer Bill Youren was a zealous supporter of freedom of speech in a political environment where anyone labelled a Communist was seen as an existential threat. The centrepiece of the documentary is Youren's own footage from his trips…

Starring Michelle Ang

Made for only $25,000, this microbudget film is a testament to Kiwi ingenuity and can-do attitude, a phantasmagorical comedy that swings well above its weight class.  Dutch is special in approximately one way—he died recently. The victim of a hit and run,…

The New Zealand public became well acquainted with microbiologist Dr Siouxise Wiles during the Covid-19 pandemic. Phillida Perry, a producer on Ms. Information, is fascinated to see how the film “prompts people to reflect on the pandemic moment, and how we went (as Kiwis) during…

The first public screening of Bread and Roses was at the NZIFF in 1993. Three decades on, director Dame Gaylene Preston is looking forward to showcasing the digital version which has been remastered from the 16mm original. Her films have screened at festivals all over…

Director Annie Goldson’s latest feature lies a little outside of the mediasphere. Red Mole: A Romance follows a radical Kiwi experimental theatre troupe. However, it's a film for everyone — an older generation who remember the troup's performances and a younger generation drawn to the…

Director and screenwriter Catherine Bisley had to wear many hats during the making of her short film, including that of production designer; this lead to some very specific challenges.
"I was lying awake at night and fretting about where on earth I was going to get…

This year, there were 81 submissions in the NZIFF New Zealand’s Best short film competition, and only six finalist spots available. Maza White, a producer of the NZ-made short Daughter of God, is “overjoyed, excited, proud, and full of gratitude” to have her film selected…

In this section we're highlighting the films selected for NZ's Best Shorts, and Shorts Before Features - shorts selected because they are the perfect companion before a certain feature film. 

A jury of three will select the winner of the $7500 NZ's Best Short Film…

Producer Carrisse Uta'i and the team behind Find Where I Belong were “ecstatic” to hear the news of their film’s selection in the NZIFF.
Carrisse says it was a huge honour to be chosen, especially since this is her team's first short film. "It recognised…

Director and producer Rebecca Tansley and cinematographer Jess Charlton. 

Soprano Anna Leese sings the role of a fictional nurse who takes up a position at Seacliff Mental Hospital in rural New Zealand in 1952. To her surprise, she discovers her old classmate Janet Frame is…

Producer Desray Armstrong and costume designer Kirsty Cameron.

Jennifer Connelly stars as Lucy, a former child actress seeking enlightenment at a retreat. Before turning her phone off for the duration of the retreat, Lucy calls her daughter. The two have a fraught, co-dependent relationship which…

Producer Marie Silberstein

For more than four decades, Wellington-based photographer Grant Sheehan has made his way in the world through images. Where many photographers find longevity in laser-focused speciality, he is one of the few that has managed to thrive by expanding his style ever…

Got a short film, web series or music video? Submissions for the 2024 Melbourne Women in Film Festival are now open! If you are a screen storyteller at any level of your career or practice, including student filmmakers, MWFF wants to see your amazing work.…

NYWIFT invites its members, as well as members of Women in Film organisations worldwide, to submit their short films for consideration for this programme. That's YOU!

The Women Calling the Shots showcase of short films made by women filmmakers is happening at the 31st Annual…

Legal Counsel
TVNZ

Tāhuhu Kaupapa Director of Content
Māori Television

Photographer/Videographer
Waitapu Group

Videographer
Gracegate

Captioner - Te Karere
TVNZ

Camera Operator
TAB

Production Assistant
Toulouse Group Lighting Design

Marketing Executive
Digital Media Trust

Community Engagement Coordinator (South Island based)
Show Me Shorts Festival Trust 

Video Specialist
MediaWorks

Kaiwhakatairanga – Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Taki Rua Productions

Marketing Manager
Massive Company

Accounts Administrator
Wingnut Films

Payroll Administrator
Wingnut Films

Publicity & Promotions Executive
Studiocanal

Video Content Creator
Kami Ltd

The NZFC's Extended Screen Production Recovery Fund remains open to applications from eligible productions that have been affected by a COVID-19 event (as defined in the Guidelines). Applications can be submitted up until 31 July 2023. 

The NZFC's advice is to apply as soon as…

Make a note in your calendars and buy your tickets! WIFT NZ in conjunction with the NZIFF will be running a panel in Auckland following the Sunday 30 July screening of Brainwashed: Sex-Camera Power. WIFT NZ members Dr Shuchi Kothari, Paula Whetu Jones and Marina…

A big congratulations to our members who will receive Seed funding from the NZ Writers Guild in the latest round. Seed is one of the most competitive writer-only grants for draft feature film scripts in New Zealand, and this round received 106 Seed and 32…

There are so many WIFT members receiving funding in these latest rounds from NZ On Air and the New Zealand Film Commission! We wish you all the best and look forward to seeing your work on screen!

The NZFC will fund feature drama The Rule…

It's always interesting to hear from filmmakers about their inspiration, the challenges they faced, and to pick their brains for advice on their craft. This year's NZIFF offers plenty of opportunities to hear from filmmakers with films in the NZIFF in a series of Q+A…

We're pleased to hear that indie feature film Shut Eye has been invited to play at the Melbourne International Film Festival this year. Directed by Tom Levesque, produced by Eva Trebilco and with Kelly Chen as DOP, Shut Eye implores us to find true connections…

Producer, screenwriter and experienced governor Dr Christina Milligan (Ngāti Porou) has been appointed to the Board of NZ On Air for a three-year term.

Christina brings a wealth of screen industry experience to this position, alongside significant skills in governance and strategic oversight.

As well…

Join Dr Sapna Samant for an action- and comedy-filled night at the movies watching Polite Society, directed by Nida Manzoor (We Are Lady Parts).

A longtime WIFT NZ member, Sapna is fundraising for her Maungakiekie Green Party candidacy campaign, so get along to Auckland's Rialto…

Use your WIFT NZ member discount and get 10% off when you sign up for term three classes with The Actors Lab Studio. Topics covered include Career Resilience, US Accent Immersion, Show Reels, Self-Tape, Audition, Scene Work and Camera Technique. 
Check out the term three…

Check out producer Charlotte Wanhill's webseries Unravelling Anxiety now on the NZ Herald website.

The new ten-part series is the second in Digital Alchemist’s Misconceptions series and aims to bust myths, confront taboos, and let people who live with anxiety know that they are not…

It seems like yesterday that we welcomed a whole new swag of members - but all the lovely people below represent folk who have joined only since 31 March this year! WIFT NZ could not carry on without its members and we value each and…

NZIFF is partnering with AroVision so audiences can watch festival films at home. Selections from 2019-2022 are available to stream now, while this year's film selection will be released online after their theatrical runs.

NZIFF-premiered films screening on AroVision now include Aftersun, Triangle of Sadness,…

It's going to be the Big Screen Symposium's 10th anniversary on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 April next year! Book your travel, accommodation and time off now so you don't miss out!
Watch this space - we'll let you know when tickets go on sale.

Here's all the information you need from NZ On Air about its Special Scripted round, which closes 1 August.

NZ On Air has allocated a minimum of $15m for this round. Scripted drama and comedy production applications for projects for both hard-to-reach and general audiences…

The makers & shakers Awards celebrate innovation, creativity and collaboration in global screen content production. Enter this year to seize your chance to shine. The online application is FREE and easy to complete. Here’s why you should be grabbing this opportunity:

Showcase your work: The…